The present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly, to footwear including a platform construction.
In the footwear industry, there is an ongoing effort to produce footwear that is aesthetically pleasing, but that also provides exceptional support and comfort. This effort is increased in relation to casual, business casual and dress footwear. Wearers of these footwear require their footwear to be dressy enough to provide a professional or finished appearance; however, due to the long hours spent at work or entertaining in the footwear, these individuals also require that the footwear have sufficient cushioning, a comfortable fit, and good support.
One type of footwear construction that, to some extent, can satisfy the aesthetically pleasing requirement for business/casual/dress footwear is the California construction. This construction generally includes an upper to which a “California flange” is secured. Specifically, the upper of this construction includes a lower periphery to which a long, slender piece of material—a California flange—is stitched. The material is initially stitched so that the unfinished underside of the piece faces outward, and the finished aesthetic side faces inward, toward the remainder of the upper. This piece is then turned down so that the aesthetic side becomes visible, and the stitching is concealed. An outsole is then secured with stitching or cement to the unstitched portion of the piece. A cushion usually is placed over the cemented portion of the piece and the portion of the outsole facing the interior of the upper to provide a limited amount of cushioning.
Although conventional California constructions can provide a pleasing appearance, these constructions frequently fail to provide a desired level of support. For example, because the California construction uses the simple flange to join the upper and the outsole, the resulting footwear are very flexible—and indeed almost slipper-like. Accordingly, the foot of a wearer of the footwear is provided with flexibility, but is offered little support. Further, the cushion of conventional California constructions usually must be thin so as to leave a comfortable amount of space within the upper for the wearer's foot. This is usually the case where California constructions are incorporated into women's footwear, which are typically diminutive to minimize the apparent size of the wearer's foot; and this is almost always the case where such constructions are included in footwear including a thin toe box because a significant amount of space within the toe box is consumed by the profile of the wearer's toes projecting entirely above the cushion. Thus, many times, insufficient cushion is provided in footwear including California or similar aesthetic constructions. In addition, because of the slender nature of the cushion, conventional California constructions typically are unable to provide added height to the wearer, which may be desirable for wearers of diminutive stature.
Accordingly, there remains an unmet need for a visually pleasing, highly supportive, comfortable footwear including a California or similar aesthetic construction.